Sunny was just a playful twelve year old
studying in the sixth grade of a reputed school in Madras. Even as a young boy
Sunny was passionate about arts and spent more time with books and music while
neglecting his textbooks.
His interest in music had made his
parents put Sunny in a classical choir at their neighbourhood church which the
entire family attended and Sunny would go there regularly for practice and also
to the actual Church Services on Sundays. Practice sessions were between six to
eight in the evenings on Tuesdays and Fridays while actual Church services were
from seven thirty to ten in the mornings and six to seven thirty in the
evenings on Sundays.
Sunny was very diligent and would attend
practice sessions without fail. Whenever he left for practice and returned
Sunny could feel the gaze of hidden eyes from the window of the corner house at
the end of his street. Though he could not find out who was watching him he knew
for sure that someone was gazing upon him. Soon his neighbour's children
informed him that there lived a girl of his age named Sunanda in that house.
One day while playing with his
neighbour's kids, Sunanda dropped by since his neighbour's daughter was Sunanda’s
classmate and Sunny set his eyes on her for the first time when they were
formally introduced to each other by his neighbour’s daughter. Sunny was too
young to understand the significance of love at first sight but he found
himself strangely attracted to Sunanda. I can tell you that certainly sparks
did fly and Sunny could not avert his eyes from her.
Sunanda too seemed to find a kindred
spirit in Sunny and soon they became the
best of friends and whenever Sunny went past her house on his way to choir
practice or Church service, Sunanda would look out the window and wave to him.
On his return from practice he would find Sunanda waiting near the gate of her
house and he would stop and talk for awhile before going home. This became a
regular ritual and on days when Sunny did not have practice or did not have to
go to church Sunanda would drop by at Sunny’s neighbour's house and they would
meet up there as they played the games that kids of their age used to play in
those days.
Sunny and Sunanda remained best of
friends for over two years and hid nothing from each other. Sometimes Sunny’s
choir would sing at weddings and would be gifted money by the bridal family.
Sunny would use the money to buy Sunanda gifts but the best gift that Sunanda
always treasured was the few flowers that Sunny would pick up from those used
for the marriage decorations and bring for her.
That summer Sunny appeared for his
eighth grade exams in April of 1972 and Sunny’s Mom forced Sunny to study hard.
She did not allow him to even go to his choir practice. This frustrated Sunanda
and unable to be without seeing Sunny she picked up a few hard boiled candies
and went upto Sunny’s door and rang the bell. Sunny’s Mom who opened the door
was surprised by the young girl who wanted to meet Sunny.
You must remember that this happened in
the early nineteen seventies and in those days a boy and girl being friendly
was frowned upon by the elders. Sunanda glibly said, “Aunty, it is my Birthday
and I want to give Sunny some sweets”. Sunny’s Mom called Sunny. Sunny knowing
that Sunanda was lying for her Birthday was only in July went to meet her and
in the pretext of wishing her spent a few minutes with her.
That summer of 1972 was the best that
Sunny ever spent and he and Sunanda were together for most of the time. She
began to visit Sunny’s house regularly on some pretext or the other and Sunny’s
Mom didn’t know what to do. Whenever, Sunny crossed Sunanda’s house they would
stand near the gate and talk for long hours. It was during one such meeting
that Sunanda told Sunny that she wanted to tell him something but hesitated and
told him that she would tell him the next evening.
Sunny was excited for he felt that
Sunanda was about to proclaim her love for him. The next evening Sunny rushed
to Sunanda’s house but found the gate locked. His neighbours later told him
that Sunanda’s father had incurred a loss in his business and had declared
insolvency in a court of law for non-repayment of loans. His father had fled
the town leaving behind his wife and daughter. Nobody knew where poor Sunanda
and her mother went.
Sunny searched and searched far and wide
but could never find Sunanda ever again.